May 13, 2011

Katy Perry becomes the first artist in the Billboard Hot 100's more than five-decade history to spend 52 consecutive weeks - an entire year - in the top 10.

On the chart released today (May 12) on Billboard.com (dated May 21, 2011), "E.T.," featuring Kanye West, descends to No. 2 after five weeks at the summit, granting Perry an unprecedented full year lodged in the chart's top bracket.

Perry began her streak when "California Gurls," featuring Snoop Dogg, debuted at No. 2 on the May 29, 2010, Hot 100. The song would go on to spend six weeks at No. 1 beginning June 19, 2010.

As "Girls" logged its 12th frame in the top 10 on the Aug. 14, 2010, Hot 100, the follow-up and second single from Perry's second Capitol Records album "Teenage Dream" bounded 20-7. The song would become the set's second No. 1 on the Sept. 18 chart and reign for two weeks.

On the Nov. 20, 2010, Hot 100, "Firework" burst 29-10, just keeping Perry in the top 10, as "Dream" dropped out of the tier (12-8). "Firework" started a four-week command on the Jan. 8, 2011, survey.

When "E.T." bounded 28-8 on the March 12, 2011, Hot 100, the song joined "Firework" for the latter song's last two weeks in the top 10.

Prior to Perry, Ace of Base had held the Hot 100's uninterrupted top 10 longevity mark, linking 48 straight weeks in the top 10 with "All That She Wants," "The Sign" and "Don't Turn Around" (Oct. 16, 1993-Sept. 10, 1994). Santana ranks third with 42 consecutive frames in the upper region (1999-2000), followed by Mariah Carey (41 weeks in a row, 1995-96).

Perry's year-long residence in the Hot 100's top 10 is the latest in a long line of honors that she's achieved with "Teenage Dream." The set is only the ninth to generate four No. 1s in the list's 52-year archives; it's one of only three albums to yield a quartet of toppers on Billboard's Pop Songs radio airplay chart; and, also this week, "E.T." rewrites its own mark, established last week, for the most weekly plays (12,361, according to Nielsen BDS) for a title in the Pop Songs' survey's history.

With sales of 1,451,000 since its August 2010 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan, "Dream" recently bested the sales of Perry's 2008 breakthrough album, "One of the Boys," which has sold 1,383,000.